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enThe Liverpool player who could light up Sundays dull trip to ChelseaPhilippe Coutinho has been a rare bright spot in an ultimately disappointing season for the Reds, writesAlex Keble...Alex Keblehttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/liverpool-player-who-could-light-sundays-dull-trip-chelsea
Jose Mourinho's conservative tactical approach, coupled with Liverpool's creative dry spell, is likely to make for a somewhat drab encounter on Sunday (not to mention the fact Chelsea have already won the league).
However, if there's one player who could light up this relatively new rivalry it's Philippe Coutinho – up against a defensively deficient Cesc Fabregas.
Among the many spluttering components of Brendan Rodgers' 3-4-3 (a formation that now looks jaded without Daniel Sturridge), his decision to move Coutinho into a central midfield role has proved effective.
The dynamism of Liverpool's 4-3-3 had relied upon a see-saw dropping off of the front three – something that neither Mario Balotelli nor Rickie Lambert are capable of doing.
Coutinho receives the ball in a less crowded area, allowing him to hit the final third at speed. In his last three games he has completed 12 dribbles, despite his team scoring twice.
The first line of defence against these mazy runs will be Fabregas, whose positional indiscipline has frequently left Nemanja Matic overworked and Chelsea exposed (0.7 interceptions per match).
With Ramires injured, Mourinho may wish to field Kurt Zouma alongside Matic to counter this issue, but the speed with which Coutinho moves could be a problem for the big centre-back.
Chelsea are firm favourites to keep Liverpool at bay and Mourinho will, of course, have a plan for dealing with the Reds' Brazilian schemer. However, with fellow Selecao member Ramires ruled out and Zouma too inflexible as a midfielder against Liverpool's pace, this zone could be the decisive battleground.
More analysis on FFT.com
featureFri, 08 May 2015 11:04:00 +0000Joe Brewin385437 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpool 2-1 QPR: How many penalties has Steven Gerrard missed in Prem history?Optas facts and stats from Liverpools late 2-1 success against QPR, using Stats Zone...http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/liverpool-2-1-qpr-how-many-penalties-has-steven-gerrard-missed-prem-history
Steven Gerrard went from villain to hero in a matter of minutes at Anfield, the Liverpool captain missing a penalty and then scoring the winner to hand his team victory over QPR. The R's could now be relegated next weekend following the defeat on a sombre occasion for the club's players and staff, after news broke of the death of QPR centre-back Rio Ferdinand's wife.
In what could be his final decisive afternoon at Anfield before leaving for LA Galaxy, Gerrard missed a penalty and scored the winner having been recalled to the Liverpool line-up.
Philippe Coutinho gave the Reds the lead in the 19th minute, bending home a lovely effort after receiving Rickie Lambert's pass. Lambert, who started up front, registered his first assist in a Liverpool shirt.
Liverpool created six chances in the opening exchanges of the game, with QPR struggling to get forward and cause Liverpool's defence problems.
In the second half QPR upped the ante. Leroy Fer - starting ahead of Bobby Zamora in QPR's only change - had had the ball in the net within the first minute, but the officials ruled that Matt Phillips' scuffed corner went out of play. But Fer would get his goal eventually, firing home from a pinpoint Joey Barton cross.
In the 79th-minute, QPR's hard work seemed in ruins as Liverpool were awarded a penalty for a pullby Nedum Onuoha on Martin Skrtel. The foul seemed absolutely needless, a reckless and costly decision.
But Rangers goalkeeper Rob Green crowned an excellent individual performance by plunging to his left to deny Gerrard the goal. As if giving away a penalty wasn't bad enough, moments after that let-off Onuohacollected a second booking for a rash foul on substitute Jordon Ibe.
This proved costly for Chris Ramsey's side. QPR were unable to hang on as Gerrard planted a header from Coutinho's corner past Green. The defeat means QPR are seven points from safety with three games remaining and Ramsey's men could be relegated by the time they take to the field at Manchester City.
Liverpool edge nearer to a Europa League spot and manager Brendan Rodgers will have enjoyed Gerrard stealing the headlines from a plane that flew over Anfield before kick-off, sporting a banner calling for him to be replaced by former boss Rafael Benitez. In the end Gerrard was the hero; Liverpool remain fifth.
Match facts
Liverpool have won 20 and lost just one of 23 home league games against QPR.
The Reds have lost just 1 of their last 12 Premier League matches at Anfield (W8 D3 L1).
Gerrard has failed from the penalty spot 9 times in Premier League history. Only Shearer (11) and Sheringham (10) have more.
Philippe Coutinho has scored in all 3 of his Premier League games against Queens Park Rangers.
Rickie Lambert provided his Premier League assist for Liverpool and his first in the top-flight since March 2014.
QPR have kept just 1 clean sheet in their last 18 Premier League away matches. In fact, the R’s have never kept a clean sheet at Anfield in league competition.
Leroy Fer has scored in back to back away Premier League games for the first time in his career.
QPR have found the back of the net in each of their last 10 Premier League away games; their longest streak in PL history.
Only 4 goalkeepers (David James 13, Thomas Sorensen 12, Brad Friedel 10 and Mark Schwarzer 10) have saved more penalties in Premier League history than Rob Green (9).
However, Gerrard, who scored the match-winning goal, also netted his first headed effort since January 2014 vs Everton.
Analyse Liverpool 2-1 QPR using Stats Zone
featureSat, 02 May 2015 17:55:25 +0000Jon Fadugba383329 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comPFA Player of the Year award: the cases for this seasons six nomineesMichael Coxmakes the cases for this seasons shortlisted stars...Michael Coxhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/pfa-player-year-award-cases-seasons-six-nominees
David de Gea (Man United)
Unquestionably the Premier League’s standout goalkeeper this season, De Gea constantly rescued Manchester United when Louis van Gaal had yet to implement his methods successfully and United were often on the back foot. His shot-stopping remains outstanding, with a series of saves in a 2-1 victory at the Emirates against Arsenal particularly memorable. De Gea’s reactions have always been good, however.
The previous question about the Spaniard was whether he could cope with the physicality of the league, but he’s bulked up and now commands his box. Whereas many continental keepers prefer to punch, De Gea has caught 82% of aerial balls this season –and not dropped one.
SEE ALSO De Gea's saves may well catch the eye, but there's so much more to his triumphant rise
Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
The Brazilian playmaker has enjoyed his most consistent season at Liverpool, and the starring role he's been given with Luis Suarez gone and Daniel Sturridge often sidelined. He suited the 3-4-3 formation perfectly with his drifts infield, and also played excellently in a forward role against Newcastle.
Capable of intelligent movement and beautiful through-balls, Coutinho needs to become more efficient in the final third: 4 goals and 4 assists isn’t bad, but not quite PFA Player of the Year standard.
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
The Belgian will be in the PFA Team of the Year for the third successive season –and this has been his best yet. While his team-mates have dipped in recent weeks, Hazard has continued his excellent form and is probably the best all-round attacker in the Premier League.
He’s created more chances than Fabregas, has a better shot-conversion rate than Sergio Aguero, and has completed more dribbles than any other player in the division. His 12 goals, interestingly, have come in 12 different games –and that summarises Hazard’s solid, understated consistency.
He hasn’t scored the spectacular goals Gareth Bale managed two years ago, or managed the individual performances of Luis Suarez last year, but Hazard would be a worthy PFA Player of the Year.
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
A brilliant technician with a feisty, combative edge, Sanchez’s dynamism makes him perfect for English football. He became Arsenal’s most important attacking player almost immediately.
Capable of scoring, assisting and tracking back, Sanchez has played in a variety of positions for Arsenal –in all four forward positions in Arsenal’s regular 4-2-3-1 formation. 14 goals and 8 assists is a fine return from his first season in English football, and with a month of the season still remaining too.
A post-Christmas dip in form will count against him in terms of the voting, but it’s between him and Diego Costa for the season’s best debutant.
Diego Costa (Chelsea)
The archetypical Jose Mourinho forward, Costa is a battering ram capable of running the channels and getting on the end of crosses, leading the line with brute force as much as technical ability.
The outstanding aspect of his game, however, is his chance-conversation rate: 33% is extremely high for any player in any division, which means that while the Spain international isn’t as involved in build-up play as many other forwards, he’s the most unerring finisher. As things stand, his minutes-per-goal ratio is slightly better than Aguero or Kane. Only fitness and disciplinary problems have let him down.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Kane is scoring goals with such regularity that you simply expect him to find the net these days, andhis debut England goal came as no surprise. Yet it’s worth remembering quite what an extraordinary rise this has been –at the start of the campaign, you could get 1000/1 for him to finish top goalscorer.
No one seems entirely sure quite how good Kane is, or whether this outstanding scoring form can last. When Spurs are on the back foot, Kane is a consistent outlet, either by dropping back to help out or running the channels. But his touch is good, his positional awareness is the type of thing you can’t teach and his finishing is consistently ruthless. It will be a huge surprise if he fails to scoop the PFA’s Young Player award.
featureThu, 16 Apr 2015 16:14:44 +0000Joe Brewin376063 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCoutinho one of worlds best, says RodgersBrendan Rodgers hailed Philippe Coutinho as one of the best players in the world after his starring role in Liverpools 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/coutinho-one-worlds-best-says-rodgers
Coutinho shone in a comfortable win for Rodgers' side having been deployed as a 'false nine' in Liverpool's three-pronged attack, linking play superbly with deft flicks and touches.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen ensured Liverpool moved within four points of Manchester City in the final UEFA Champions League spot, but it was Coutinho who earned high praise from his manager.
"I thought he was incredible," said the Liverpool boss. "I thought he showed that he's really up there with the very, very best in the most competitive league in the world, which is the Barclays Premier League.
"I played him in that role just in front of the centre-halves, thinking that we could exploit the space in between their midfield and the centre-halves and create space for players to make runs in behind. I thought he was sensational.
"He was a kid that always had the ability, but he's become stronger, become more tactically aware and I think you see him now really orchestrating the game for us.
"It was an outstanding performance, he looked very fit and strong, and he’s had a wonderful season."
news_articleTue, 14 Apr 2015 09:31:32 +0000Anonymous375141 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHenderson praises clinical CoutinhoJordan Henderson hailed magic match-winner Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian secured Liverpools place in the FA Cup semi-finals.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/henderson-praises-clinical-cup-hero-coutinho
Coutinho scored the only goal of Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay win over Blackburn at Ewood Park on Wednesday, burying a low finish across goal after he had played a neat one-two with Henderson in the right channel.
The victory earned Liverpool a semi-final meeting with Aston Villa at Wembley and kept manager Brendan Rodgers' bid for a first trophy with the Anfield club on course.
Henderson told BT Sport: "Philippe has got a great football brain and the easy bit is just giving him it.
"That little bit of brilliance from him wins us the game.
"We go to Wembley against Villa. I am sure it will be a tough game because they are a good side."
Henderson admitted Liverpool's recent defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League had placed more importance on the FA Cup, with hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League fading.
"It was a really important game for us today," he added. "Everybody has been disappointed the last couple of weeks. We knew it would be difficult for us."
news_articleWed, 08 Apr 2015 21:39:30 +0000Anonymous372663 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWhy quotas wont help England win the World CupFA Chairman Greg Dyke thinks limiting foreigners will help England win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar - butJohn Robertsonsays it would in fact make things worse...John Robertsonhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-quotas-wont-help-england-win-world-cup
The collective consciousness of our small nation's football fans continues to revolve around a world state that no longer exists. We might like to think of ourselves as a superpower of the modern and future football world, but the reality is different. We've been well and truly surpassed.
As a result of that misplaced sense of superiority, England loves to place blame anywhere but at its own doorstep. Pick an English player, manager, commentator or pundit at random, ask them why the England team is 'failing' (more on that later) and you're likely to get the same answer: too many foreigners in the Premier League. It's a response that's as lazy as it is inaccurate and xenophobic.
The notion that English players would be better if foreigners were kept out is ridiculous, a gross misreading of the situation that has the potential to damage homegrown talent by ignoring the real reasons for the (debatable) failure of the England team. To put it as simply as possible: having fewer foreign players in the Premier League would only make the England national team worse.
Knowledge and incentives
At the core of the FA's drive to drum up support for foreign player quotas is a belief that giving more playing time to Englishmen will make them better. This is the kind of banal simplification that English football so often uses to shoot itself in the foot, akin to 'it's pointless to practice penalties' and that direct football means 'the dreaded long ball' - both ideas subsequently disproved by foreign coaches and players.
That's nothing new: imported ideas have frequently made the England team better and will continue to do so. There's no better way of absorbing ideas than to witness them first-hand.
To do that we need foreign players in England in great numbers. Not only do they teach us a new cultural understanding of football, thereby diversifying and strengthening our knowledge, they motivate our young players to be better than they would otherwise become.
A cap on foreign players in our leagues is a protectionist policy that promotes mediocrity. Engaging with the world makes your own systems better through the sharing of knowledge.
That rings true whether you're constructing cars, establishing banks or raising the next generation of footballers. Without competition from foreign players, English youngsters would have less incentive to improve.
Rather than needing to be better than other players from around the world to secure a squad spot, you would only need to be better than the comparatively tiny group of players that you grew up with.
Playing Walcott against Walcott doesn't make Walcott better, physically or psychologically. Playing Walcott with and against foreign players that approach the game in a different way will.
Is Raheem Sterling a better footballer for playing and training with Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez? Of course. Is Ross Barkley better for playing against Nemanja Matic or Yaya Toure? Of course. Is Wayne Rooney better for having played with Carlos Tevez and against Javier Mascherano? Of course.
Limiting imports would directly undermine both the systems English players use to improve themselves and the effort they would require to succeed. In turn, that would result in inferior English players.
Danny Mills, part of the FA commission pushing the quota idea, has said that only the best foreigners are wanted/needed in English leagues - the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola and Thierry Henry being more than welcome. Such an idea is, again, a gross simplification in reality.
What represents a stark upgrade for Leicester doesn't apply to Chelsea. Who is to say what the 'best' option is for clubs with wildly different outlooks on what kind of player they need and can realistically get? Mile Jedinak might not be the "crème de la crème" in universal terms, but he certainly is for Crystal Palace.
England's sense of superiority, leading to a reluctance to fully engage with the football world, harms it in other ways, too. Ways much more harmful than having eclectic influences in English leagues.
Export drive
While young players from across Europe and the world are eager to ply their trade in foreign countries, keen to learn new approaches to training, tactics and styles of play, English players are loathe to do the same.
Maybe it's because we're an island nation and there remains a cultural fear and suspicion of playing and living abroad. Maybe it's because we can't be bothered to learn a language other than English.
Or maybe it's simply that the money is better here - although that hardly tallies with the implication that English players are left unemployed by immigrants.
Playing in Serie A would teach English players the importance of positional awareness without possession. In the Eredivisie they'd learn the true value of constant movement and creating passing angles. In Germany they'd learn how to play 'direct football' in a form that promotes passing along the ground.
English players can get the minutes the FA so desperately crave by playing abroad, against opposition that will broaden their horizons and, in turn, make them better candidates for international competition.
There are other benefits to playing abroad, too. Undoubtedly, English players would receive a generally higher level of coaching across all age groups - of all the major European footballing nations, it's England that has the fewest coaches qualified to UEFA Pro Licence level.
England has a little more than 200 coaches qualified to such a level, Germany has in excess of 1,000 and Spain over 2,000. Coaching courses in England are also more expensive than those countries, despite the money in the English game, which raises the question of whether the FA's wider plans for player development will exclude potential coaches from poorer backgrounds.
Playing abroad would also rid players of having to grind through the much-maligned 'gruelling' English season. More than foreign imports, it's exhaustion that is harming England in summer tournaments. Odd, then, that the FA is so keen to get more English players on the treadmill.
Harry the elephant
The elephant in the room here is Harry Kane, Prime Minister Elect. The Tottenham striker is central to Greg Dyke's promotion of the player cap idea, the suggestion being that there must be others of Kane's quality rotting in development teams across the country.
Scouting systems and data analysis are so good now that such an idea is a myth. Kane didn't gallop into the Spurs team like a white knight on a unicorn, he fought to improve himself while bouncing around on loan. Once he was good enough, he played.
If you're English and good enough, you will play no matter how many foreigners are in your league. Look at Barkley, Sterling, Jordon Ibe, John Stones, Calum Chambers, Fabian Delph, Jack Wilshere, Nathaniel Clyne, Luke Shaw, Saido Berahino... if you're not good enough to play for your club, you're probably not good enough to play for England. Such players shouldn't get special protection status.
Reaching for the stars?
The whole reason for these FA proposals boils down to an England team that is failing. But is it really failing? How good do we expect it to be? In the past 50 years, the team has achieved a single semi-final, generally fading in the second round or quarter-finals - if we even got there, unlike the tournaments throughout the 1970s, in 1984, 1994 and 2008. And yet the perception is that we should be among the top four teams, and that the lack of success is somehow a puzzling new problem that needs a new solution.
Who do we think we're supposed to be better than? We can't expect to be better than Germany, a country with greater wealth, better grassroots facilities and a larger population.
We can't expect to be better than Holland or Spain, countries that continue to lead the world in devising and implementing new ways to train and educate young footballers.
We can't expect to be better than Argentina, a country that exports its best players around the world and reaps the benefits of the knowledge gained as a result.
England are probably as good right now as we can ever hope that they'll be. Limiting foreign influence on our home turf is only going to isolate the English game and promote an atmosphere of mediocrity. The FA say their proposals are designed to help England win the 2022 World Cup. They'll only make it less likely.
featureThu, 02 Apr 2015 14:10:00 +0000Joe Brewin369768 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCoutinho eager to add more goals to his gameLiverpool playmakerPhilippe Coutinho knows his finishing must improve if he is to take his game to the next level.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/coutinho-eager-add-more-goals-his-game
The Brazilian has been in outstanding form this season, but has only found the back of the net five times in all competitions.
Coutinho has scored13 goals in 92 games since joining the Merseyside club from Inter in January 2013and the 22-year-old is determined to improve that record.
He told Liverpool's official website: "I think I still have to improve.
"I have not improved yet. I scored a few goals last month but I need to improve.
"I have this ambition, this objective of improving finishing. In the position I play, I need to score goals to help the team and create plays. Therefore I must improve my goalscoring skills."
news_articleThu, 26 Mar 2015 09:24:57 +0000Anonymous366746 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFrom frustrator to difference maker: how crafty Coutinho finally got it rightThe Brazilian has dazzled since the turn of the year for Liverpool, after two years of working towards making it happen consistently.Alex Hessevaluates his ascent...Alex Hesshttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/frustrator-difference-maker-how-crafty-coutinho-finally-got-it-right
There are a great many benefits that the digital age has bestowed on the modern-day football fan – rafts of information, endless coverage, numerous platforms for discussion – but an imbued sense of patience is probably not one of them.
If clubs at the top level are often chastised for their short-termism, the charge can also be levelled at a generation of fans. Too often, we demand immediate rewards when there are none to be had.
It’s something to bear in mind when appreciating the magnificent recent form of Philippe Coutinho, who has spent the opening months of 2015 transforming himself from maddening midfielder to dependable difference maker. Sunday's blistering long-ranger against Manchester City was his second in as many weeks.
Coutinho, who could run the length of a beach without leaving a footprint, has long promised much but only partly delivered. But now the patience is beginning to pay off.
Until his recent heroics, the youngster had earned himself a reputation for being too wasteful. It has generally been a valid criticism, but one rarely followed up with the equally valid caveat that he was young and still learning. It's easy to forget, given that he's played nearly 200 games across four countries and two continents, that Coutinho is only 22. And that even in this modern age of under-15 YouTube sensations and 30-goal-a-season Football Manager wonderkids, a 22-year-old footballer is still in his formative years.
To put that in context, when Roberto Baggio was the same age, he had made roughly 100 appearances in a first-team shirt, half of them in Italy's third tier. Pavel Nedved had just six senior goals to his name. Thierry Henry was a middling bit-parter at Juventus.
Coutinho, meanwhile, has tasted regular action for two of Europe’s most high-profile clubs, played a half-season in a third major European league and spent a couple more years as a fawned-over teenage prodigy in his homeland. Now he finallyappears to be reaping the benefits of a settled employer.
Sharp shooter at last
If there has been a single key ingredient to his recent progress, then it’s the obvious one: Coutinho has finally started scoring. Time and again at Liverpool, his lack of goals – 10 in two years before last month – has been deemed inadequate for someone donning his No.10 shirt, and displaying his obvious talent.
Indeed, Coutinho’s baffling inability to shoot had become a running joke among Anfield regulars. If there was no better player at wriggling into a half-yard of space on the edge of the box, then there were surely few worse at striking the ball cleanly. For such a capable technician, it seemed absurd that his shooting was less David Beckham than Diana Ross.
Fortunately, it wasn’t just the fans who were getting exasperated: as Kopites were busy writing off e-numbers and full-fat milk for the New Year, Coutinho made a resolution of his own. “There are always so many things to improve,” he admitted on January 29. “I’ve been working on improving my goal tally as I understand this as being part of my role. I expect to do better on this. Whenever possible, I have post-training sessions to work on improving my shooting accuracy.”
As any Shania Twain fan will tell you, talking the talk is the easy part. But since uttering those words, Coutinho has gone on to score three goals in seven games. Since the turn of the year, his shots-to-goals ratio has more than halved, from one in 11 hitting the net to exactly one in five. The sample size may only be small, but so far his actions prove his words were anything but empty.
Such a straightforward route to betterment might well demand the question: if that was all it needed, then what on earth took him so long? But that would be missing the point. This is what happens with young players: they identify flaws, they practise, they improve.
Besides, goals from midfield are no easy thing and often arrive in the manner of water tumbling through floodgates. Frank Lampard, believe it or not, never managed double figures in league season until his ninth attempt, while Steven Gerrard was a one-in-nine player until he upped his rate notably at the start of the 2004/05 season, aged 24. He’s since scored 155 in 462.
As well as goals, Coutinho’s more general inconsistency has long frustrated. When he moved to Merseyside at the start of of 2013, the Brazilian hit the ground at breakneck speed and spent the season’s latter months dazzling Premier League defences with stepovers, feints and threaded passes. Such productivity has since resurfaced for spells – not least right now – but it’s also been punctuated by periods when such incision has proved elusive.
Again, such inconsistency can be ascribed to Coutinho’s youth. But there’s another misconception at work, too. In many ways, to demand consistency from a pure playmaker of his ilk is to misunderstand the very essence of the position. It is the precise remit of such players to always be attempting the most difficult moves, in the least amount of space, under the most pressure.
Because their game relies on the whirring cogs around them, No.10s also tend only to play well when their team is on form. Reporting on the 2002 World Cup Final, The Guardian's David Lacey described Brazil's two great creators, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, as “isolated” and “cut off from their source”. It is the playmaker's occupational hazard: ability will not automatically equate to effectiveness.
Brendan's boy
But this isn't to say that Coutinho's shimmering recent form has been at all arbitrary. Brendan Rodgers was roundly snickered at last weekend when he explained how the Brazilian’s rabbit-from-a-hat wondergoal at St Mary’s was the direct result of his own new-look tactics, thank you very much.
But while it might indeed be a bit rich to praise a tweaking of the midfield diamond for one of your attackers walloping one in the top corner from 30 yards, Rodgers’ broader point was perhaps a valid one: Coutinho’s upsurge in form has directly coincided with his team’s tactical reshuffle.
While his own role as a roving central creator – nominally playing from the left – has remained largely unchanged during Liverpool’s move to a 3-4-3, the key difference is that he has been flanked by a wing-back on his outside. With an extra body steaming down each touchline, Liverpool's pitch has broadened a tad, and for Coutinho, this translates to having that little bit of extra room with which to cut inside.
And the Brazilian is a master at precisely that move – specialising in his ability to create another yard almost by not playing the pass, instead waiting an extra second for the space to open up.
Which all brings us back to patience. It is rare that a top-level player arrives in the job looking the part straight away. Not every forward can march off the bench against Arsenal aged 16, stick one in the top corner and never look back. Far more often, the path to excellence passes through thickets of inconsistency and imperfection.
Coutinho's current form is proof that it's a path worth trekking. It's hard to name a Premier League player who has outperformed the Brazilian since the turn of the year, and he boasts a genuine range of raw materials with which to realise his clear potential. Most creators have technique but lack tenacity. Coutinho, though, combines the dexterity of Miss Marple with the doggedness of Philip Marlowe: he has averaged more tackles this season than Angel Di Maria and David Silva combined.
Quite where the boundaries to Coutinho’s achievements lie is uncertain, but on recent evidence he is capable of hitting some truly stratospheric heights. The key is to let him get there in his own time.
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featureTue, 03 Mar 2015 12:51:18 +0000Joe Brewin354264 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comClassy Coutinho steals the show: how new Stats Zone saw Liverpool 2-1 Man CityThe Reds all-actionAnfieldvictory analysed using the brand new version of award-winning analysis tool Stats Zone now available for iOS and Android devices...Joe Brewinhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/classy-coutinho-steals-show-how-new-stats-zone-saw-liverpool-2-1-man-city
"Relentless" was Brendan Rodgers' summary of Liverpool's Anfield victory over Manchester City. And credit where it's due, the Reds' chief wasn't wrong.
Sore heads after a potential Europa League hangover were nowhere to be found as the hosts scurried and harassed their way to a deserved 2-1 victory over the champions, who also suffered in midweek at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League.
Liverpool had endured a gruelling 120 minutes against Besiktas a day later, however, before losing on penalties in Turkey to crash out at the last 32 stage.
"We got back at half four in the early hours of Friday morning, and by the time the players got to bed it was probably about six o'clock," Rodgers weptjubilantly at the final whistle. "To restrict them to one shot on target, I thought the players were incredible today so they deserve all the praise that they get for the performance and the result."
As such, Rodgers made four changes to his starting XI, with Lazar Markovic, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho replacing Kolo Toure, Jordon Ibe, Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli. For City there were also four changes: Yaya Toure returned after suspension, and was joined by Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernandinho.
FACTSWhich season-long City run did Liverpool end?
1) ...but City had the same issues
Against Barcelona, Pellegrini's 4-4-2 was heavily criticised. The Spanish side's middle men had a field day finding holes in City's lacklustre midfield which couldn't cope with the speed and precision of Barca's passing. While their trip to Anfield wasn't quite as traumatic, the visitors' engine room – this time featuring the talismanic Toure and more energetic Fernandinho over Fernando– encountered the same problems.
When Liverpool countered, which they did with regularity, Coutinho and Raheem Sterling were able to find the holes again with ease. Joe Allen, terrific in possession, and midfield partner Henderson, who pressed magnificently, both helped free up the aforementioned duo for such attacks. In contrast, Toure in particular endured a poor second half in which he almost gifted substitute Sturridge a simple third for Liverpool. Centre-backs Mangala and Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, were both at fault at big moments of the game.
Simply, City need more support in the midfield when they play against sides with the capability to outgun them. They've paid the price for a lack of it twice in a week.
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2) Coutinho stole the show
Not satisfied with his show-stopping effort at Southampton last weekend, the 22-year-old Brazilian repeated his feats of last season by sinking City with a glorious 20-yarder. Yet even before that the ex-Inter playmaker was man of the match; the hub of every Liverpool attack and chief menace for Rodgers' side.
The champions couldn't deal with his direct running on the counter (see green stars for successful take-ons), one such burst helping to produce Henderson's opening goal.
His glorious winner confirmed the youngster's status as the Merseysiders' driving force, and prompted boss Rodgers to talk up his burgeoning reputation.
"He cost £8.5 million," said the Reds boss. "It is frightening to know what he could be worth. He is a joy to work with and a joy to watch. He is a kid who has so much ahead of him in the game. He is 22 years of age. People forget he came to us at 19. He is a sensational footballer."
Certainly, his 2015 is getting better by the week.
3) Liverpool's pressing was magnificent
Pre-match, Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool stopper Jamie Carragher called for his old side to make a good start. Do that, he said, and they would have a good chance of upsetting City early on.
Carragher needn't have worried. Rodgers' men were straight out of the traps, harrying and winning the ball back brilliantly in City's half to force their surprised opponents into frequent errors.
At the forefront was Henderson, but also impressive were Coutinho and Allen in wrenching back possession for the hosts. They kept it up for the second half too– a textbook display of high-pressing football.
4) Rodgers needs Sturridge back
Sturridge not starting wasn't hugely surprising– pre-match, Rodgers had warning against 'breaking' him after five months on the sidelines– but this was a game tailored for the England striker.
With false nine Adam Lallana the beneficiary of one excellent chance a quicker striker perhaps would have buried, and another his returning team-mate may have shown more nous to avoid standing offside for, it was hard not to imagine Sturridge thriving off the service of the industrious worker bees behind him.
He did squander a glorious opportunity after a woeful Toure ball towards the end, but you sense the good times of a new era on the Liverpool frontline could soon be returning.
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5) Raheem Sterling: assist king?
The numbers suggest that Liverpool's prized possession notched his sixth and seventh assists of the season– indeed, more than his previous three seasons combined– but reality tells us that the 20-year-old barely had to lift a finger to put his name to them.
Stats are a wonderful thing (*cough*Stats Zone is brilliant *cough*), but they shouldn't misrepresent what was possibly one of Sterling's more difficult displays of recent weeks.
One humbling of Mangala aside, not much the England man tried came off and as such he was comfortably overshadowed by Coutinho, whose final ball and decision making were superior to his team-mate's.
Sterling's work-rate was excellent, however, and he was more valuable to his team than the struggling Markovic, but on this occasion his two assists weren't quite indicative of a creative genius. Even if he is stronger than Kompany.
Analyse Liverpool 2-1 Man City yourself with Stats Zone
featureMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:20:00 +0000Joe Brewin353165 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpools Allen hails next level CoutinhoPhilippe Coutinho earned lavish praise from team-mate Joe Allen after his superb winning goal for Liverpool against Manchester City.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allen-hails-next-level-coutinho
The Brazilian curled in a stunning effortfrom outside the area at Anfield on Sunday to seal a 2-1 victory for Brendan Rodgers'side.
Coutinho also netted the winner in the corresponding fixture last season, and his latest strike added to further recent wonder-goals against Bolton Wanderers and Southampton.
"He's so good,"Allen told the Liverpool Echo.
"With his performances recently, Philippe has taken things to the next level. The Brazilian team is obviously full of talent but he has to be really pushing for that.
"Working with him day in, day out, he shows his quality every time he trains and plays and he scored a superb winner to get us the three points.
"He's skilful and very versatile. He can play in different positions and teams are struggling to deal with him.
"Why has he started scoring? I think it's confidence. That's a huge thing in football.
"The ability has always been there. Technically, he's right up there.
"I think some people forget how young he is at times. He's a young player getting better all the time.
"He's showing that goals are part of his game. He was always on this path.
"Those of us who work with him on a daily basis, we always knew he was going to kick on and reach this kind of level."
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 08:34:39 +0000Anonymous353566 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers: Coutinho is coming of age at AnfieldPhilippe Coutinho is coming of age at Liverpool and is primed to get even better, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/coutinho-coming-age-anfield-rodgers
The Brazil midfielder put the seal on his latest eye-catching performance by netting a superb winner as Liverpool beat Premier League champions Manchester City 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday.
Coutinho has netted three times in his last seven games to leave Rodgers relishing what the future has in store for the 22-year-old, who joined the Merseyside club in January 2013 and signed a new long-term deal earlier this month.
Rodgers beamed: "I think his performances, in particular since he signed his contract, he's started scoring goals. He's a joy to watch, he's a kid who has got so much ahead him in the game.
"He's 22, people forget he came into us at 19, he's still developing and adapting to a new country.[He is a] sensational footballer and now he's starting to add the goals to that quality."
Coutinho had a hand in Jordan Henderson's opener, highlighting in the eyes of Rodgers his impact on the team as a whole.
"He's a very selfless player and a humble guy," added the Liverpool boss.
"He'll always creates for others. We just encourage him, he's done more work on the training ground in terms of his finishing, he's got a wonderful body movement around the box, and you see recently he's starting to work that space really well.
"His technique is at a real high level.
"He's now arriving into the areas, then able to pull the trigger and get shots off.
"I think he is a star in the Premier League already, but I think there's still improvements he can make. I think he's a young player that's developed, he's got the trust of his team-mates and is playing at aclub that adores him.
"He loves it here, and is playing for a team that wants to play a technical game.
"He's an absolute pleasure and joy to work with."
news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 16:58:37 +0000Anonymous353173 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpool 2-1 Man City: Which season-long City run did Liverpool end?A pressure-cranking victory for Brendan Rodgers men, as seen through the eyes of award-winning analysis tool Stats Zone...http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/liverpool-2-1-man-city-which-season-long-city-run-did-liverpool-end
Philippe Coutinho's brilliant equaliser downed Manchester City at Anfield, and kept Liverpool within three points of third-placed Arsenal.
The Brazilian's second-half winner capped a virtuoso display from the 22-year-old, whose stunning opener also helped sink Southampton at St Mary's last weekend.
Jordan Henderson opened the scoring with a similarly excellent drive from range, before Edin Dzeko levelled things for Manuel Pellegrini's side before half-time after a well-worked move from the visitors. But the champions' hopes of landing back-to-back titles now seem incredily slim after Coutinho's terrific winner condemned them to deserved defeat on Merseyside.
Raheem Sterling has provided as many Premier League assists in 2014/15 as he did in the previous 3 seasons combined (7).
All 3 of Jordan Henderson’s Premier League goals this season have been assisted by Raheem Sterling.
3 of Liverpool’s last 4 Premier League goals have come from outside the box.
Before this match City were the only Premier League team not to concede a goal from outside the box this season. Both of Liverpool’s goals came from range.
Sergio Aguero has been involved in 5 goals in his last 3 top-flight games (3 goals, 2 assists).
Man City have won 0 of their last 12 Premier League trips to Anfield (D4 L8).
City scored with their only shot on target. This is the fewest they have recorded in a Premier League game this since April 8, 2012 (away to Arsenal).
Liverpool have lost just 4 of the 45 league games they have played under Brendan Rodgers after the turn of the year (across his 3 seasons in charge)
Liverpool have claimed 26 points from the last possible 30 (W8 D2).
Edin Dzeko has scored in consecutive Premier League games after failing to find the net in his preceding 9 appearances.
Analyse Liverpool 2-1 Man City with Stats Zone
featureSun, 01 Mar 2015 14:25:24 +0000Joe Brewin352993 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpool to assess trio ahead of Spurs clashLiverpool are to give late fitness checks to Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana ahead of Tuesdays Premier League clash against Tottenham.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/liverpool-assess-trio-ahead-spurs
Brazilian midfielder Coutinho lasted 56 minutes of Saturday's Merseyside derby against Everton before coming off with a knee injury, while winger Sterling was also substituted in the closing stages due to a foot problem.
Lallana was not included for the trip to Goodison Park, the former Southampton man having been troubled by a calf complaint recently.
However, manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that all three will be fit when Tottenham visit Anfield.
"Phil Coutinho had a knock on his knee and Raheem had a knock on his foot," Rodgers told the club's official website.
"We had fresh players on the bench to bring on and hopefully they will be fit for Tuesday."
On Lallana, Rodgers added: "We need to see how he is but he has a big possibility for Tuesday."
news_articleMon, 09 Feb 2015 10:04:08 +0000Anonymous340405 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers compares Coutinho to SuarezLiverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has compared Philippe Coutinho to Luis Suarez after the Brazilian firedhis side into the fifth round of the FA Cup.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rodgers-compares-coutinho-suarez
Coutinho scored a thunderous stoppage-time winner from the edge of the box to seal a 2-1 win in Liverpool'sfourth round replay atBolton Wanderers on Wednesday.
A contentiousEidur Gudjohnsen penalty gave Bolton the lead shortly before the hour mark,and it was notuntil the last 10minutes of the game - after Neil Danns had seen red for the hosts - that Liverpool found a way in the game.
After Raheem Sterling had pulled the visitors level, Coutinho wrapped up the win in stoppage.
And Rodgers was in awe of his 22-year-old playmaker, whosigned a new long-term deal at the club earlier this week, comparing him to departed striker Suarez, who left for Barcelona during the close-season.
"You would pay money to watch the kid," claimed Rodgers. "He is a great role model for lots of technical players in this country.
"Luis Suarez grew and grew in this team and I can see Coutinho the same way, although he might not be as prolific.
"Signing a new deal shows he is really committed to Liverpool and his development.
"He will become world class in the next couple of years."
news_articleThu, 05 Feb 2015 14:05:17 +0000Anonymous337948 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comCoutinho pens extended Liverpool contractLiverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has agreed a new long-term contract.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/breaking-news-coutinho-pens-extended-liverpool-deal
Coutinho, who moved to Anfield from Inter in January 2013,was already under contract with Liverpool until 2018 but he has been rewarded with a renewed deal on the back of some impressive performances in recent weeks.
The 22-year-old laid on both goals during Saturday's 2-0 win over West Ham and
"Today I've committed my future to the club and for this I'm feeling very pleased," he said."This club is great and the fans have always supported me, so I've been eager to sign this new deal since conversations started. Today is a very happy day.
"It means so much. This club has given me the opportunity to play and believed in me even though I hadn't been playing regularly at my previous club.
"I've had a great reception since my first day here. As I always say, Liverpool is a big family and I'm a happy person here."
Coutinho has scored twice in 31 appearances across all competitions this season.
news_articleTue, 03 Feb 2015 14:05:20 +0000Anonymous336659 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com